The Portland daily press., 1887-12-05
SECRETARY LAMAR's REPORT.
Interesting Statement Of the Affairs
of the Indians.
Operation and Effect Of the General
Allotment Law.
The Progress Of Education Among
the Red skins.

IL. y. T.. Lamar, oociesdiI Oh tne Interior
has been published. That part of the report
referring to Indian affairs is among its most
interesting features. The Secretary says:
The extent to which success has attended
the efforts of Mr.. Commissioner Atkins in
the managing the affairs of the Indians is
more clearly shown by the statistics of the
results of their Industrial pursuits during
the past year. The present condition Of this
population may be presented as grouped in
three general classes:
The first. or civilized, embracing the five
civilized tribes of the Indian Territory and
the Six Nations Of New York, whose men,
bers generally are furthest advanced in man.
ners and morals and in the arts and indus
tries of civilized life, self-supporting, with
written constitutions and laws and we'll
established rules and methods of govern
ment; including also many individuals
emong other tribes who are fully entitled by
reason of intelligence, industry, social
habits. and other characteristics of civiliza-
tion to be enumerated among the civilized
portion Of the Indian race.
Second, the semi-civilized, comprising
tribes and bands among whose members the
work of transformation is not so marked,
yet who are progressing in order and peace,
improving in habits. and engaging in indus
trial pursuits and largely earning and pro-
viding their own support, and yet dependent
for their progress upon the direction, control
and guidance of the government.
The third class are the savages, who re-
quire constant watchfulness to restrain them
from following their savage mode of life,
10 ~
plies upon the government, and controlled
by the exhibition of the physical power Of
the government, idly wandering upon the
reservation, and when not actively opposing
and obstructing measures for their advance
ment yielding sullen and unwilling re-
sp0nse thereto.
The five civilized tribes of the Indian Ter
ritory embrace population of about $4,000,
and the Six Nations of New York number
1862. These being self sustaining, 1t is not
necessary for the present purpose to intro
duce any statistics Of their industrial opera
tions.
There are also about 1880 Indians scat
tered over the public domain and not living
on any reservations under charge of Indian
agents, therefore no specific information OF
their industrial pursuits is at hand.
The statistics compiled from the annual
reports of the various United States Indian
agents to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
represents that of the remaining 173,6C0 In
dians under their supervision, about 5S,Cc0
wear citizens clothes wholly; that 16.477
25,0Co can speak English with sufficient in
telligence for ordinary conversation; that
more than 105C0 of their children are in
schools receiving educational aud industrial
training, for whom 237 schools are in opera
tion, and that over Sl,CoO families are en-
gagged in industrial pursuits. They have
cultivated over 23S.CC0 acres, built over 295,-
coo rods of fencing, produced over 10000
bushels of wheat, $4,000 bushels OF corn.
402, ,0C0 bushels of oats, 6S,0oQ bushels OF
barley and rye, 514,0C0 bushels Of vegetables,
and S3,eC0 pounds of butter. Besides the
above they have gathered for use and sale
considerable quantities of wild rice, berries,
herbs, furs, fish and snake root, etc. They
have sawed 1,552,079 feet of lumber, cut
"a, 900 cords of wood, and 10000 tons OF
hay. they own over $4,000 horses, 5000
mules, 113,0o0 cattle, 10000 swine, and 1,120,-
OC0 sheep. Droughts have seriously affected
the yield of their crops the past year.
INDIANS BECOMING FREE-HoLDERs.
The most important measure of legislation
ever enacted in this country affecting our
Indian affairs is the general allotment law Of
February 8, 1887. BY this law every Indian,
of whatever age, may secure title to farm,
enjoy the protection and benefits of the law,
both civil and criminal, of the State or Ter
ritory in which he may reside, and be sub
ject to the restraints Of those laws. 1t goes
still further. Under it the Indian, in accept
ing the patent for his individual holding of
land, takes with it the title to higher estate,
that of citizen of the United States, entit-
led to all the privileges and immunities of
such citizenship, and yet invested with all
the lawful responsibilities of that position.
The statute is practically general natur-
alization law for the American Indian, ex-
cept that ii is provided therein that its pro
visions shall not extend to the territory oc-
cupied by the five civilized tribes and some
other advanced communities of Indians. In
every other respect the door has been opened
through which every individual Indian by
proper effort may pass from the savage life
to the enjoyment of the fruits and privileges
of civilization. The first effect Of this law
is to clear away the legal distractions which
have heretofore hindered the progress OF
many of the tribes.
The argument that this legislation or the
measures adopted under it should be post
pOned until the race by gradual process is
morally and intellectually adapted to the
condition of civilized society is concluslvely
answered by the fact that the century OF
effort to so adapt them has produced nothing
in that direction which promises any such
fitness within century to come. The ext
gencies of the age will not await another
century OF even quarter of century OF
such expenditure of effort and time with
such incommensurate results.
The law requires that the allotments shall
be made Jointly by agents specially appoint
ed for that purpose and the agents in charge
of the reservations. AS the appropriation
providing for the employment of the special
agents to aid in making the allotments did
not become available until July last, nothing
could be done before that time except by
way of gathering information and taking
preliminary action incident to preparation
for the work. Many reservations have never
been surveyed, and the corners and marks
of surveys made on others have long since
been removed or obllterated.
INDIAN SCHOOLS.
The report of the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs, and that of the superintendent of
Indian schools, and the statistical exhibits
accompanying them, show that there are
about 10000 children of school age, from six
to sixteen years, among that portion of In
dian population for whose benefit the appro-
priation for Indian educational purposes, as
far as they will 90, are sought to be expend-
al Schools for these tn the number of 007